Improvement in counter show-case



G. D. LEONARD. COUNTER SHOW CASE.

No; 101,475. l Patented Apr. 5, 1870.

waited (States stent @Hire cEoEcE D. LEcNAEn oE NEW YORK, N.IY.

Letters Patent N 101,47 5, dated April 5, 1870; antedated January 6, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT 1N COUNTER snow-CASE.

The 'Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the .sama

To all whom it 'may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE D. LEONARD, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Counter Case for Displaying Silks, Gottons, and other Articles, of which the following is a. full, clear, and exact description, reference being had t0 the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 represents a top view of a counter with lids or doors in it thrown open to secure the display of the silk, cotton, or other articles carried by devices arranged within or beneath the counter. c

Figure 2, a. vertical section taken as indicated by the line :lz-:v in g. 1; and

Figure 3, a longitudinal section taken as denoted by the line y y in iig. 2.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding ,I parts.

My invention, although applicable to the display of various other articles, will here be described as used for the exposure or display of silk, cotton, thread, or other like material put up on spools.

-Said invention consist-s` in a combination with a counter or table, provided with a suitable opening or openings through its top, covered by lids or doors of an apparatus arranged beneath or within the counter or table, and comprising an endless traveling belt, chain, or apron supported and operated by suitably- .disposed rollers or drums, and serving tccarry swinging trays constructed or weighted to travel with their mouths uppermost, for display of the articles contained in the trays, through the opening or openings in the counter or tablethat is thus made to answer as a case to said apparatus, besides, when its lids or doors are closed, its ordinary function or use.

Referring to the accompanying drawing- A represents a store-counter in part provided in and through its top surface a, with an opening, B, covered by a lid or door or lids or doors O of any suitable description, that, when made to close the opening B, will form no objectionable obstruction on the. upper surface of the counter to interfere with the ordinary use or function proper ofthe counter.

Arranged within the counter, which is also made 'to serve as a case. to the mechanism about to be described, are horizontal drumsA or rollers C' G', of which there may be any'suitable number, and which should beso disposed as tccarry an endless apron, D, of any desired length, either arranged to run lengthwise or crosswise of the counter in such manner as that the upper surface of said apron will travel horizontally beneath, and in moderate proximity to the opening B in the counter.

'A crank or handle, b, may be connected with the one drum for giving motion to the apron, orthe latter may be operated in an y other desired manner. One or more of the drums may be hungin sliding bearings adjustable by'. screws for keeping the apron at a proper' stretch. Said apron may be constructed in various ways, but is preferably made up of slats secured at their ends to .endless side belts which are passed on or round the drums.

Secured to this endless apron D, ator near its edges, are any number of outwardly-projecting brackets c c, arranged in opposite pairs at equal or other distances apart. A

In these brackets are hung, so as to be capable of freely swinging, by means of trunions 'or cross-shafts, trough-like carriers or trays E E of semicircular form in their transverse section, although they may be of rectangular or other shape, according to the description of the articles to be displayed or position required to be given said articles in the trays.

` Attached to the swinging spindles which carry the trays, are pendent weights, d d, for preserving the trays in a horizontal position with their mouths uppermost when working the apron D, and, as they pass around the drums, whereby the articles .carried by the trays are prevented from falling out of the latter, and their proper exposure is secured.

From this description it will be seen that the displaying apparatus or device in no waysinterferes with the ordinary us'e of the counter, andis out of the Way within or beneath it also, that thecounter serves as a case to the mechanism of' said apparatus. On opening, however, the door O and turning the handle b, so as to set the apron D in motion, the spools Gr, of. different colors or grades of silk, are successively brought under the opening B, and so displayed or taken from out ofthe trays at pleasure.

What is here claimed, and desired to b secured by Letters Patent, is-

The combination with the counter or table provided' with a suitable opening or openings in and through its top, under cover of lids or doors'that, when closed, form part of said counter or table, of an apparatus-arranged beneath or within the counter or table as a case, and composed of an endless traveling belt, apron, or chain having swinging trays upon it, constructed or Weighted to travel with their mouths uppermost, for the display of the articles contained in the trays, substantially as specified.

GEO. D. LEONARD. Witnesses:

JOHN D. Rossnr, HENRY PALMER. 

